The Life and Times of Savil Ashkevron
by Delphine Pryde
Summary: Savil has been an outcast of her family since she was young. She sick and tired of it and has decided to go out on her own.
1. Wooden Sword

Disclaimers: The Valdemar series doesn't belong to me

Disclaimers: The Valdemar series doesn't belong to me.

The Life and Times of Savil Ashkevron

Chapter One: Wooden Sword

By: Delphine

"It is better to sleep on things before hand than to lie awake and worry about them afterward."

-Baltasar Gracian

Growling, little fourteen-year-old Savil Ashkevron lunged at her brother Withen, attempting to snatch back her wooden training sword. Withen, being the taller of the two held the sword up out her reach. "Give it back!" she yelled at him, her eyes flashing in fury.

"A lady's weapon is the needle not the sword," said Withen, quoting what their father was constantly saying to her. "You're never going to get married if you act like a barbarian."

Savil felt her face go red from fury. _Damn Father and Withen for their old fashioned look on a woman's duty._ In that moment of rage she drew back her foot and kicked Withen in the knee. He cried out, dropping the wooden sword in his surprise, and clutched his leg. Not waiting for him to recover, she grabbed her sword and ran.

She made it to her room in the manor-keep of Forest Reach before she came to a halt. She slammed the heavy wooden door shut in her anger. After a pause to catch her breath, Savil flung herself on her bed. It would be a while before Withen would have the courage to tell their father that a girl injured him. Savil moaned in despair as she realized how much trouble she would get in for kicking Withen, being non lady-like and all that nonsense. _Why do I get myself into these kinds of things? Why can't I ever stay out of trouble?_ This wasn't the first time she had asked herself these questions; trouble was attracted to Savil like flies to the dead.

The mundane and strictness of her life in Forest Reach filled Savil with revulsion. Not for the first time, the girl contemplated running away. Things had always been bad for her but not to that point, it was only of late had things gotten worse. Savil found herself seeking more and more solitude for unexplained reasons. All of the events in her life Savil had taken with no complaint, but the episode today with Withen was the card that made the house fall.

As she lifted her head, a gleam of determination sparkled in her eyes. This time she would run away. _Let's just see what Father's reaction to that is going to be. _With that thought Savil made her decision to leave Forest Reach. _As soon I can pack my things I am out of here! _

And so she packed clothes good for traveling, her favorite books, the money she'd saved, and other personal items. Discretely she took a few tools, food from the kitchen, camping supplies, and lastly a hunting bow and arrows. These she secretly loaded onto her beloved mare Lullaby. Before she left the keep, Savil placed her wooden practice sword on the bed with small note place on it:

Fare well, dear Abigail.

Love,

Savil Ashkevron

The girl silently mounted Lullaby, tears in her eyes. With Savil's command, Lullaby launched into action. The two cleared the gates before any one was the wiser.

The note and wooden sword were found not long after Savil's absence from dinner was noted. No one but the old nurse, Abigail, that had watched over Savil since she was a babe, cried. Neither Lord Ashkevron or Withen cared; Lady Ashkevron had passed away when Savil was ten. "Good riddance," muttered Withen.

Abigail sobbed even louder. With a frustrated sigh Lord Ashkevron walked out of Savil's room followed by his son. The nurse sat on her former charge's bed, still weeping. Abigail held close to her Savil's wooden sword. "Take care," she whispered.

Almost as if the message was carried on the wind, "_Take care,_" echoed in the ears of Savil. She did not slow her pace, but increased it. Lullaby complied with her mistress' command, continuing the journey to an unknown destination.


	2. Magic Sword

Disclaimer: Mercedes Lackey is the creator not me; I'm just writing for fun

The Life and Times of Savil Ashkevron

Chapter Two:**Magic Sword**

By: Delphine

"Then she told me what little she knew—that the sword's name was Need, that she was indestructible so far as Baryl had been able to tell. That she only served women. And that her service was such that she only gave what you yourself did not already have. That to her, a fighter, Need gave a virtual immunity to all magic, but didn't add so much as a fillip to her fighting skills—but for me, a mage, if I let it take control when it needed to, it would make me a master swordswoman, though it wouldn't make the least difference to any spell I cast. And that it would help Heal anything short of a death-wound."

-Kethry from the _Oathbound _by Mercedes Lackey

The village of Cerelli was a disaster. Glass from broken windows, houses burnt and crumbling and mutilated corpses strewed everywhere. A few citizens on the street carried themselves with slumped shoulders and vacant, downcast eyes. This was the site that greeted Savil Ashkevron as she entered the village, mounted on her horse Lullaby.

Dark hair whipped around her head as a summer breeze tinged with the smell of death greeted her. Her eyes clouded at the horrible site that no one should ever have to see. Halting Lullaby, Savil dismounted the beige horse. Her brown boot covered feet hit the graveled street with a thump. She removed the hunting bow and quiver full of arrows from her supplies attached to Lullaby. _I know my arrows aren't meant for battle, but it will at least give me some defense._

Cautiously, the brown outfit clad Savil approached one of the downtrodden villagers, apparently survivors to whatever calamity had hit this town. The local she intended to speak to was an old woman with silver hair and strange wild eyes. "Excuse me, Ma'am, could you please tell me what happened here?" Savil asked politely as she could.

The wild eyes met hers in a sudden recognition. "Elly!" the old woman cried and clutched poor Savil in a weak bear hug. "I thought you be taken with the other girls. Those bandits are absolutely horrible!" the woman sobbed.

Confused, Savil hugged the old woman back. Breaking off her hug, the old woman pulled back. "It's okay now, cause you here's with old Hildy." The old woman, Hildy, grabbed her by the hand and started to drag her over to an unburned house. Not having the heart to resist, Savil followed. 

They entered what had once been a lovely little place, now covered in torn clothes and items like broken vases thrown about. As soon as they had reached the center of the room, Hildy dropped Savil's hand. She knelt down and stuck her fingers under a loose board. Curious, the younger girl joined her on the floor. Hildy pulled the wood board up with a loud creak. Reaching into the new hole in the floor, Hildy pulled out an object wrapped in an old gray cloth. She pulled the cloth back to reveal a plain short-sword. Hildy unsheathed the sword and offered the sword to Savil, hilt first. Uncertain to say the least, Savil took the sword. Almost as soon as her hand touched the sword it came to life. Runes flared on the blade that said, "Woman's Need calls me, as Woman's Need made me. Her Need I will answer as my maker bade me."

In astonishment, Savil stared at the blade, even as the runes faded. Only when Hildy handed her the sheath did she snap out of her shock. Accepting it, she sheathed the sword, Need. Savil the donned the magic sword with trembling fingers. Hildy smiled at her, "Now you go save them others, Elly."

"I'm not really your Elly," admitted Savil.

The wild-eyed woman smile grew. "My Elly died twenty winters ago. You be she returned to me so I could say good-bye one last time. Now you no worry about old Hildy, I be just fine. Go save those girls from the bad men, yes?"

Savil nodded in stunned silence. "Good-bye," she said and left the keep of a woman she wasn't sure was totally crazy.

As she mounted Lullaby, she thought, _Where do I go? I don't know where those bandits went._ Almost as she thought that, Need started to hum at her side. Savil felt the sword pulling her in a direction out of Cerelli. Almost automatically she launched Lullaby into action. With a loud equine cry the mare barreled down the guided path.

Need led her into a forest. As the sword pull grew more, Savil knew she was near. She halted Lullaby and dismounted. _It would be best if I proceeded alone. Lullaby might give me away without meaning to._ So Savil continued on foot, drawing Need from her sheath in order to be ready for any trouble. She spotted one of the guards almost immediately. Hiding behind a tree, Savil tried to spot anymore of the burly bandits, there were non.

Silently as she could, she crept up to the bandit guard. He never glanced her way once. Though Savil herself did not know what to do, Need did. What Savil could only describe as a spirit of the sword took over and thrusted the blade forward into the bandit's back. _Oh gods!_ As horrified as she was, there was no time for her to think but act. With Need in partial control of her, Savil ran into the campsite headless of danger.

Lady Luck on her side, for most of the bandits were in drunken stupor on the ground. The few that were semi-aware guarded the tied up village girls. The drunken guards charged Savil in their muddled state. The Need controlled Savil quickly made short work of the men. As soon as any apparent danger was over and the men laid on the ground dead or injured, Need released control of Savil.

Grief stricken at the deaths she had caused, Savil dragged her weary self over to the girls. Trying to ignore their frightened whimpers, she used Need to cut them loose. "Is everyone okay?" she asked them.

Nods all around. "Good." Glancing at the unconscious but alive men, she said, "I think we better get back to Cerelli."

The group of girls with Savil in the lead they headed back to the village, only stopping for Savil to retrieve Lullaby. It was a tragic reunion once they got back to Cerelli; most of the girl's parents had been killed in the initial attack. The little few left decided that the safest option would be to go to the Forest Reach keep, incase any of the remaining bandits were to attack again. They were to leave in the morning, but Savil would not be going with them. There was no way she would go back to the place she had run away from.

The girl stayed the night with Hildy. Despite the strange woman's protests, Savil gave Need back to her. "I don't want a sword that makes me kill people, even bad ones," she told Hildy sorrowfully. The old woman relented and took the sword back.

Savil did not sleep well that night, her dreams filled with horrifying visions. When morning came, she awoke grateful at the escape from her nightmare. She bade her farewells to Hildy. Before leaving, Savil handed Hildy a letter for her to deliver to her old nurse Abigail at Forest Reach. Within letter was:

Dear Abigail,

The one who has delivered this letter, Hildy, has been most helpful and I hope you will find a job for her around the keep. Perhaps she would be good helping you watch the younger children?

I apologize for leaving so suddenly, but I knew that if I didn't get away right then I never would. I miss you so much and don't worry I've been taking well care of Lullaby. Please don't tell Father or Withen about this letter, they might think you had something to do with my leaving.

As I am sure you will hear from Hildy, today I rescued a group of village girls from the bandits who attacked Cerelli. Abigail, I killed some of those bandits. I feel a pain in my chest whenever I think about it. I know saving those girls was the right thing but at what price?

I love you and think of you everyday, Mother of my heart.

Yours truly,

Savil Ashkevron

Once the letter was safely in Hildy's hand, Savil mounted Lullaby. On Lullaby's back were the renewed supplies. Young Savil once again commanded Lullaby forward and the two continued on their journey.


	3. Please Note

Due to various projects and school I will not be able to finish this story. Any person who wishes to continue said story has my utmost confidence and permission.

Sorry for any inconveniences,

Delphine


End file.
